Once Upon a Blue Moon
by mycatjake
Summary: When Dumbledore defeated Grindewald back in 1945, two necklaces that are just as harmless as they are powerful disappeared. What happened to them, and how did they end up at Hogwarts? R & R please.


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Prologue

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July 13, 1945

It couldn't have been later than four in the morning. The light was just pink over the horizon as a black ministry car pulled up in front of a dark house. It looked like any other ordinary house; and anyone would have supposed it was. No one yet knew of the dark magic and terrifying words and curses that had been so recently uttered here.

It was deathly quiet. The only sound was the crunching of tires on gravel as the dark car maneuvered into a spot by the door. A dark man, who was tall and thin, stepped out. He was wearing a black bowler hat, he moved with an air of dignity. A man of importance in his time.

"Minister! Thank goodness you're finally here!" The front door of the house had swung open, and a hurried-looking man had appeared in the doorway. Cuts and smears of blood covered his round face. He was going slightly bald, and his robes were torn.

"Of course I'm here, I left as soon as I got word," the Minister replied, reaching inside his cloak and wrapping his hand around his wand. "Where is he?"

"Gone."

"What are you talking about, Smith? How could he just be -"

"Faded, disappeared, in front of my very eyes Minister." Smith was trembling now, his hands clenched around his robes and his knuckles white. "As soon as Albus -"

"Albus Dumbledore?" the Minister asked, as he pushed his way into the house. He knew that Albus was famous for his endeavors in alchemy, so it was no surprise that he would help in the defeat of a dark wizard. The house was dusty and appeared to have been out of use for a while. The wallpaper had yellowed and was peeling. There was a reminiscent essence of wealth. The way the dusty chandeliers hung from the ceiling proposed this must have once been a house of importance.

"Yes sir, he was the one who defeated - he defeated -" Smith was again fumbling with his robes.

"Grindelwald? Yes, well the good thing is that it's all over," the Minister said, clapping a large hand on the other man's shoulder. The man was clammy and he still flinched at the name, even though he was gone. "Now, show me where it happened."

Smith nodded and muttered, "Lumos" before leading the Minister up a narrow staircase. When they reached the top, he led them to the end of the hallway to where a man with auburn hair and a long beard was sitting against the wall next to a doorway.

"Ah, Albus," the Minister said as Albus Dumbledore stood up to shake his hand. He was very cold and clammy, but his handshake was strong. "Would you mind explaining -"

"Not at all," Albus replied quietly as Smith pulled a bar of chocolate out of his pocket and handed it to him. "But first, I think there's something you should see."

Albus led him into a dark room and over to a desk, on top of which two necklaces lay. At the end of a gold chain was a white stone, inside of which mist swirled and formed, like clouds behind glass. They were beautiful, exotic stones that intrigued him, and despite the fact that he was the Minister of Magic, he felt overcome with curiosity and wonder. They were like a beautiful tempest, hooking him and pulling him in. The longer he looked, the more they seemed to lock him into the swirling mist underneath the polished exterior.

"We found these in his trunk, sir. We're not sure what they are exactly, but as he put up a fight in giving them up we can properly assume that they had some importance in his power," Albus said, picking up the two stones and examining them closely.

Smith was observing the necklaces like they were some sort of vermin. "I say you dispose of them immediately. If they belonged to Grindelwald, they can't be any use to us, they probably contain some sort of form of dark magic or he'd never have them in the first place -"

"Don't be silly, Smith," The Minister replied, taking the stone from Dumbledore's fingertips and admiring them.

"He does have a point, Minister. There are rumors that Moonstones are only used by those who perform the darkest of arts. No one is quite sure of what they do, but they are somehow linked to very dark magic. I too would suggest that you destroy them before someone else gets a hold of them," Dumbledore said, peering at the Minister over the top of his half-moon spectacles, an eyebrow raised as if suspecting him of something.

"Ah, well, if you allow me, I'll take them back to the Ministry for further observation. I'll make sure they're guarded by the strongest magic there is," the Minister replied, pulling on gloves and wrapping the stones in nearby cloth. Dumbledore opened his mouth to object but the Minister hurriedly added, "Now, tell me what happened." He then slipped the stones into his pocket with no intention of giving them up for examination.

"It's a long story…"


End file.
